From greenways spanning hundreds of miles to local road diet projects that calm traffic and create space for vulnerable road users, momentum has been growing across Georgia for more livable, people-friendly communities. Despite this momentum, recent developments at the federal level are putting that progress at risk.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently signaled a move away from funding road diets, or redesigns that reduce the number of vehicle lanes while adding features like wider sidewalks, bike lanes, or pedestrian islands. These design changes are proven to save lives by slowing vehicle speeds and providing dedicated spaces for vulnerable road users. In addition, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently ordered a review of all discretionary grants related to bicycle infrastructure. Grant programs such as BUILD (formerly RAISE) and Safe Streets for All are designed to fund locally-developed safety projects, and often enjoy bipartisan support. This halt and review of awarded grants delays implementation and puts critical infrastructure projects at risk of not being completed at all.
According to data from the League of American Bicyclists, in 2023 and 2024, Georgia was awarded $43 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects, and $253 million for multimodal projects from the BUILD program. In the same time period, Georgia was awarded $56 million under the Safe Streets for All program. These projects include new segments of the Atlanta BeltLine, a multimodal and streetscape design plan in Dublin, a complete street in Athens, and a street revitalization project in LaFayette. See the full list of awarded grants that may be in jeopardy below.
These projects aren’t controversial, they’re common sense. At a time when, according to the East Coast Greenway Alliance, “a record number of Americans [are] riding bicycles,” delaying or canceling these projects is a matter of life or death for vulnerable road users who desperately need these improvements. The Georgia Department of Transportation reported that 995 people were seriously injured or killed while walking or biking on Georgia roads in 2023 — up from 677 in 2019. This is why it's more important than ever to speak up for safe, people-first transportation projects. If you support building a future where people (not cars) come first, we invite you to contact your U.S. House Representative and Georgia’s Senators and ask them to protect bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure funding through discretionary grant programs like BUILD and Safe Streets for All. You can find contact info for your representative here and your senators here.
We’re committed to advancing active transportation and recreation in Georgia and believe that every community deserves access to safe and equitable walking, biking, and rolling.
Do you know of a project that is currently at risk in your community? We want to hear about it! Please contact us at planning@georgiabikes.org.
PROJECTS THAT MAY BE AT RISK OF DELAY OR CANCELLATION
Investing in Infrastructure And Jobs Act (IIJA) Grants (RAISE/BUILD, SMART, and Reconnecting Communities grants)
- Athens-Clarke County: Connect Athens - $800,000
- Athens-Clarke County: Reimagine North Avenue - $24,970,000
- City of Atlanta: Centennial Yards Complete Streets Project - $2,000,000
- City of Atlanta: Phase 1 of the Stitch Park - $157,645,161
- City of Atlanta: Reconnecting Atlanta BeltLine to Flint River Trail - $50,000,000
- City of Atlanta: Trails to Transit, Reconnecting Atlanta Communities - $25,000,000
- City of Atlanta: Westside Park Multimodal Access - $16,000,000
- Baldwin County: Oconee Heights Streetscape and Safety Improvements - $4,973,368
- Camden County: Camden County Joint Comprehensive Transportation Plan - $750,000
- City of Decatur: Reconnecting Scott Boulevard Complete Street Plan - $1,872,000
- City of Dublin: Connect Dublin Multimodal and Streetscape Plan - $1,500,000
- City of Fairburn: Warehousing and Distribution Center Safety Improvements - $1,008,000
- Gwinnett County: Singleton Road Corridor Technology Improvements - $1,053,400
- City of LaFayette: Villanow Street Revitalization - $6,273,803
- Macon-Bibb County: Pleasant Hill Reconnection and Commercial Planning - $500,000
- City of Savannah: Savannah I-17 Ramp Removal - $1,800,000
- Sweet Auburn Works, Inc.: Reconnecting Sweet Auburn - $800,000
- City of Thomasville: Thomasville Multimodal Transportation Plan - $175,000
Safe Streets for All grants
- Albany-Dougherty County: Safe Streets and Roads for All Planning Grant - $210,400
- Athens-Clarke County: Envision a Safe Athens - $1,000,000
- Atlanta Regional Commission: Supplemental Planning and Demonstration Grant in Metro Atlanta Communities - $3,031,920
- Barrow County: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan - $300,000
- Buckhead Community Improvement District: Lenox Road Complete Street Project - $10,000,000
- Carroll County: Carroll County Safe Streets for All Action Plan - $400,000
- City of Carrollton: Maple Street Neighborhood Connectivity Project - $9,200,000
- City of Carrollton: SS4A Safety Action Plan - $60,000
- Cartersville-Bartow Metropolitan Planning Organization: CBMPO Safety Action Plan - $240,000
- City of Cedartown: City of Cedartown Safety Action Plan - $160,000
- City of Chamblee: Chamblee Citywide Safety Action Plan - $240,000
- Chatham County: Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan - $200,000
- City of Chattahoochee Hills: Chattahoochee Hills Safety Action Plan - $180,000
- Cherokee County: Cherokee County and Municipalities Safety Action Plan - $450,000
- City of Clarkston: Greater Clarkston SS4A Safety Action Plan - $1,000,000
- Columbus Georgia Consolidated Government: South Lumpkin Road Safe Streets and Roads Project - $1,000,000
- Coweta County: Coweta County Safety Action Plan - $315,480
- City of Decatur : Decatur Local Road Safety Plan - $200,000
- DeKalb County: Data-driven Safety Action Planning - $800,000
- City of Doraville: Buford Highway Safety Action Plan - $200,000
- Douglas County: Douglas County Action Plan For the Reduction of Fatal Crashes - $400,000
- City of Dublin: Forward Dublin: Vision Zero Safety Action Plan - $104,000
- City of East Point: East Point Safety Action Plan - $400,000
- Effingham County: Effingham County Greenway Trail Action Plan - $200,000
- Fayette County: Comprehensive Safety Action Plan for Fayette County, Georgia - $312,000
- Glynn County: Brunswick-Glynn Multijurisdictional Safety Action Plan - $320,000
- City of Greensboro: Comprehensive Transportation Access and Safety Plan - $160,000
- Gwinnett County: Countywide Safety Action Plan - $200,000
- Gwinnett County: Enhancing Traffic Safety Through Advanced Data Analytics and Quick-build Interventions - $1,600,000
- Habersham County: SS4A Action Plan Grant: Habersham County, GA - $160,000
- Hall County: Hall County, Georgia Safe Streets for All Action Plan - $240,000
- City of Hartwell: City of Hartwell Comprehensive Safety Action Plan - $160,000
- Henry County Government: Henry County Comprehensive Safety Action Plan - $200,000
- City of LaFayette: City of LaFayette Action Plan - $163,200
- City of Leesburg: Leesburg, GA Transportation Safety Action Plan - $72,000
- Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission on behalf of the Hinesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization: Development of Safety Action Plan for the Hinesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Region - $160,000
- City of Lilburn: Lilburn Citywide Safety Action Plan - $260,000
- Macon-Bibb County: Macon-Bibb County Planning and Demonstration Activities - $400,000
- Macon-Bibb County: Vision Zero Implementation: Gray Highway and East Macon Loop - $5,630,440
- City of Milton: Safe Streets for All - City of Milton - $1,000,000
- Montgomery County: Montgomery County, Georgia Vision Zero Action Plan - $263,050
- Newton County: Newton County Safe Streets for All Action Plan - $400,000
- City of Norcross: City of Norcross Safety Action Plan - $248,000
- Paulding County: Develop an Action Plan - $160,000
- City of Peachtree Corners: Peachtree Corners, GA Safety Action Plan - $309,600
- River Valley Regional Commission: River Valley Regional Safety Action Plan - $600,000
- Rockdale County: Rockdale County Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Application - $240,000
- City of Roswell: Safe Streets and Roads for All Roswell, GA - $200,000
- City of Sandy Springs: Sandy Springs Safety Action Plan - $360,000
- City of Savannah: 37th Street Safety Improvements & Supplemental Planning - $9,999,520
- City of Suwanee: City of Suwanee Safety Action Plan - $200,000
- City of Sylvester: Safe Streets and Roads for All Discretionary Grant Program - $110,102
- City of Thomasville: West Jackson Street Demonstration Project - $175,000
- Union City: 2023 Planning Grant City of Union City - $240,000
- University of Georgia: Creating a Ten-Year Traffic Safety Infrastructure Plan - $630,000
- City of Valdosta: City of Valdosta SS4A Action Plan - $240,000
- City of Villa Rica: Villa Rica Transportation Safety Action Plan - $400,000
- Whitfield County: Safe Streets and Roads for All Plan - $160,000
